


Leaving the past in the past (isn't easy)

by RaccoonCati



Series: Our paths that we chose [4]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Family Reunions, Gen, Harley Keener & Peter Parker are Siblings, Harley Keener is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Howard Stark Lives, Kid Harley Keener, Kid Peter Parker, Maria Stark Lives, Parent Pepper Potts, Parent Tony Stark, Pepper Potts Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Peter Parker is Pepper Potts's Biological Child, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Tony Stark Acting as Harley Keener's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:34:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28364742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaccoonCati/pseuds/RaccoonCati
Summary: Tony Stark has everything he ever wanted and more. He has a beautiful wife, three wonderful children and a peaceful retirement at his lake house, far away from everyone, including the Avengers.But his quiet life is about to be thrown out the window by unforeseen events and people he simply can't and doesn't want to deal with.
Relationships: Harley Keener & Howard Stark, Harley Keener & Maria Stark, Harley Keener & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Harley Keener & Pepper Potts, Harley Keener & Peter Parker, Harley Keener & Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Harley Keener & Tony Stark, Howard Stark & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Howard Stark & Tony Stark, Howard Stark/Maria Stark, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Maria Stark & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Maria Stark & Tony Stark, Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Howard Stark, Pepper Potts & Maria Stark, Pepper Potts & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Howard Stark, Peter Parker & Maria Stark, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Series: Our paths that we chose [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2005807
Comments: 40
Kudos: 252





	1. Can't catch a break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because you voted the second choice, I'm giving you the second choice (That doesn't mean I'm not planning on writing both of them, it just means I'm writing this one first).
> 
> The tags are not complete, because I'm giving you the chance to guess what the team found in that Hydra base.
> 
> Tomorrow I'm going to respond to the comment (or comments) that had got it right and I will update the tags.
> 
> The next chapter will pe posted around New Year's Eve, when I will give you the birthdays of the characters (to make it easier for you to pinpoint their ages), as well as the fic that inspired me (because I'm giving credits to the ones that deserve them).

The quinjet landed not too far from the shady abandoned Hydra base. From the jet came out four well known people: Bucky Barnes, formerly known as the Winter Soldier, good ol' Captain America, Steve Rogers, agent Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye (although he's semi-retired and has been for five years) and everyone's favorite, the Russian triple-agent, Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow.

"Come on boys" Nat went ahead of the group "Let's see what we can find. From what we know so far, this place used to be filled with research and testing labs."

Stepping inside the base, the group split into two teams: Natasha and Clint went to check the building, while Steve and Bucky went to find the labs. They were most likely hidden beneath the base.

"This place looks deserted." Clint kept moving boxes around, blowing dust around the entire room. "This boxes look like they were left here on purpose. Like whoever was working here-"

"-took what they needed and ran away before SHIELD got the chance to find them." Nat was working on getting whatever information was left in their database.

"Exactly!" Picking up a syringe for one of the boxes, Clint turned to Nat. "Check this out. This guys were working on some kind of serum."

"Give me the syringe." He handed her the syringe, then moved to another box. She turned the syringe in her palm before putting it aside, next to the USB that was now containing encrypted information from the computers. "Let's hope it's not an attempt to recreate the Super Soldier serum. I'm tired of this already."

"It's all they ever wanted. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if they had other Winter Soldiers in the basement."

" _ **Romanoff!**_ " From her earpiece Steve's voice sounded very concerned.

"Speaking of basements" Nat turned her attention to the voice in her ear. "What did you find?"

" _ **You wouldn't believe me.**_ "

"Try me." Maybe they were other Super Soldiers here.

" _ **Come here**_ " Then there was a pause " _ **And call Stark. We will need him at the Compound by the time we go back.**_ "

This couldn't be good. "How bad is it?"

" _ **Very bad.**_ " Well, shit!

* * *

"Boys! Dinner is ready in five! Get out of the garage or I'll come down there and drag you out!" At the voice of his wife, Tony Stark put down the engine parts he was working on and, with a wave of his hands, turned off the music that was blasting through the speakers and all of the holograms around the room.

" _Hey!_ Did you forgot I was here? We're not done." 10 years old Harley Stark looked at his father like he had committed a federal crime.

All Tony could do was laugh at his son's pouting face, a spitting image of himself when someone dared to interrupt him. "Come on bud, you're mom said dinner is ready."

"I'm not hungry." The boy crossed his arms as a sign of protest.

" _I_ don't care. I'm not risking her killing me because I left you here alone." Who would've thought the genius will end up dragging his kid out of the lab like Pepper had done with him so many times before.

At the dining table Harley made his mission to convince his little brother, 5 years old Peter, that playing with the food was perfectly fine, all while their mother was juggling feeding 7 months old baby Morgan and talking with Tony about one thing or another.

"Natasha tried to call you today but you were, apparently, too busy." Pepper wasn't exactly happy that the team wanted Tony's help giving that he was retired from almost five years now, but he had the last say when it came down to helping the Avengers. That was their agreement.

"Oh, yeah? And what does she wants this time?" Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw the boys entertaining themselves and threw a smirk at them.

Pepper realized what was happening and turned her attention to the boys. "If you're done, you can go play in your rooms."

"But _mom_ , this just became interesting."

"Will daddy go on a mission?" Peter, like his big brother, was Iron Man's biggest fan. But, unlike Harley, he wasn't old enough to remember his father as a superhero. For the little boy, the Avengers are like the superheroes in movies or books, he doesn't know the sacrifices and the dangers that the superhero life entails.

"I'm not going in any mission." The disappoint in the boys' eyes reminded Tony of the day before their trip to Disney World, when both Harley and Peter got sick and they had to postpone their family vacation. "Don't look at me like that. Nat, most likely, wants me at the Compound to do their paperwork or look at weird inventions found in some abandoned bases."

Turns out, that's exactly what Natasha wanted. She asked him to come by the next day to look at something they found. But her voice and the vague details made the genius wander ' _What is she hiding from him?_ '. But, after all, this is a problem for tomorrow. What could possibly be that bad that even Natasha seemed unsure if it was a good thing to mention it or not and choose not to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The series this story is part of has the sole purpose of promoting my other stories and keeping my works together and organized.
> 
> They're not tied to one another! 
> 
> Until next time.


	2. Old memories and a problematic situation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First thing first, look at the last tags I added.
> 
> Now that that's done, I feel the need to establish what age are the characters, what birthdays they have and in what year is the story taking place. The story takes place in June of 2020. We have:
> 
> Harley Anthony Stark, age 10, born on May 29th 2010 (he shares his birthday with his father);
> 
> Peter Benjamin Stark, age 5, born on August 10th 2014 (he will be 6 soon);
> 
> Morgan Hope Stark, born on October 15th 2019 (the calculator told me she is around 7 months but I really don't know);
> 
> Virginia 'Pepper' Stark, age 43 (don't ask me the risks of having kids at 42 years old, because I'm not qualified to answer), born on February 10th 1973 (I combined dates from the wiki and whatever else Google provided me with);
> 
> Anthony Edward Stark, age 50, born on May 29th 1970 (I think it's irrelevant for me to tell you what his age is, giving that everyone probably knows already).
> 
> I'll add more when the time comes.

**The Avengers Compound; June 3rd 2020**

Tony's Audi came to a stop in front of the Compound's main entrance, where Natasha was waiting for him.

"You're late." Despite her demeanor, Nat was happy to her colleague and friend, giving that he mostly isolated himself at the lake house, refusing almost every mission or request for help, other than repairing and upgrading the team's equipment and weapons.

"You know I like to be fashionably late" he said, closing the car's door "Plus, I had to bribe the boys somehow, because they wanted to come with me."

"What did you promise them this time?”

"Oh, you know, the usual, games, toys." As they walked through the building, Tony could sense that something wasn't quite right. For starters, Helen Cho's medical team was here, which could only mean someone was hurt (or worse). And it was kinda hard to miss the Wakandan guards scattered around the base. "Will the Pink Panther make an appearance at this meeting?"

"Yes. T'Challa is here to take care of the transportation of something." ( _'What are you hiding, Romanoff?'_ )

"And that ' _something_ ' is..."

"You'll see." In other words, there was no way of finding out anything now. Tony wasn't normally that adamant on knowing what Nat was keeping from him (after all, the less you know, the smaller are the chances of being involved), but, the last time she refused to tell him something, he found out his parents were murdered. Excuse him for making sure it wasn't another life changing information.

In the conference room, aside from him and Natasha, there were T'Challa (accompanied by his ever-present scary royal guard) and Rogers ( _'So this has something to do with Steve as well'_ ).

"What did you do this time, Capsicle? Found Narnia or something?" Tony took his place at the table and crossed his arms, waiting for the shit-show to unfold.

"It's good to see you too, Tony."

"Just get it over with. No more beating around the bushes this time."

"What do you remember about your parents' funeral?"

Again with his parents. Every time Hydra is brought up so is his father.

"What did my father left for me to fix now?"

"Answer the question, Tony. You'll find out soon enough." ( _'Well, if you asked so nicely, Romanoff'_ )

"I was mostly drunk, I remember they had a closed casket service and it was suspiciously well guarded. Might've been SHIELDED agents for all I care." He turned to Nat and asked her something he thought was too crazy to be true, but he started thinking about it now and it bugged him. "Hydra stole their bodies, didn't they?"

"Something like this." She approached Tony and handed him a tablet. "It's much more complicated than this, though. Take a look."

The tablet contained every piece of information that Natasha found in Hydra's database from that abandoned warehouse.

* * *

**Hydra Underground Laboratory; December 22nd 1991**

Hydra really outdid itself. Howard couldn't even believe what he was seeing. He turned the news paper's pages, processing the fact that he and his wife died, Hydra stole their bodies right from underneath SHIELD's nose and brought them back to life. And for what? They already took the Super Soldier serum. But Howard knew why: so that he could perfect the serum that brought him and Maria back to grant immortality to those who were willing to pay for it. Howard agreed to work on the new serum (didn't say he would achieve the goal they wanted, just that he would look at it) and he only agreed because Maria's life was threatened, as well as his son's (Hydra won't lay a finger on Tony as long as Howard and Maria were still alive and willing to fight for their son).

* * *

**Hydra Underground Laboratory; January 6th 1992**

"Howard, they'll see what you're doing. _Stop it_!" Maria was concerned and she had the right to be. Howard was working on a transmitter that, in theory, could help him contact the outside world and get the hell out of there.

But he didn't have the time to explain her that no one will find out because he was almost done. The second she finished her sentence, guards burst through the door and grabbed them both. "What the hell are you doing?!"

No one answered him, as the soldiers dragged him and Maria through the corridors.

"What is going on? Where are you taking us?" Howard could see the fear in his wife's eyes and the few tears that were running down her cheeks.

"Don't worry, honey. Everything is going to be fine." Reassuring her, it was all he could do.

But minutes later they were separated and next thing he knew, Howard was shoved into a cryo pod. He knew what it was since he was brought here, the leader of this base was very proud of his collection. A collection created for the sole purpose of preserving the Winter Soldiers.

* * *

**The Avengers Compound; June 3rd 2020**

"And you're saying you found my parents in that base?" Tony was done reading the reports regarding the complex plan that was his parents' abduction and resurrection. The information regarding the serum used on them was completely deleted, but the few evidences and samples were on their way to Wakanda for analysis. This whole thing was a complete mess as far as he could comprehend what he just found out.

"They are in the infirmary. The old man is convinced he's either in another Hydra warehouse or in a russian military base."

Tony laughed a little "Your name is clearly not helping our case, don't you think the same, Romanoff?" before standing up "Let's go see the walking dead."

This day was going to be a long one. Who would've thought that, after almost 29 years, Tony will have to deal with his mom and father again. And all thanks to some crazy nazi scientists. Just his luck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reunion will happen in the next chapter. Until then, I hope to hear what your thoughts are. Give me ideas if you want, although I'm not sure how will they fit into my plotline (but it won't hurt hearing your ideas).
> 
> I took the idea for the cryo from the best story there is, my all time favorite, 12.16.1991 by MelissaBosquez here on ao3. If you haven't read it yet (though I don't think that's the case), go read it. You won't regret it. 
> 
> Happy New Year everyone.
> 
> Until next time.


	3. Seeing old faces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's play with the birthdays again:
> 
> Howard Anthony Walter Stark, age 74, born on August 15th 1917;
> 
> Maria Collins Carbonell Stark, age 61 (just because I'm imagining she having Tony at 39 wold sound pretty convincing), born on September 24th 1930 (I made the math; this date works good with my storyline).

"This is ridiculous!"

"Howard, dear, I love you, but you need to sit and calm down. This people have been nothing but nice to us since we woke up." Maria was watching her husband pacing around the hospital looking room, muttering to himself. She was concerned, maybe even a little curious, about where they were and, so, she understood what was going on in Howard's mind. But, unlike him, she wasn't paranoid about it. They weren't allowed to leave the room, but the nice, young doctor (she introduced herself as Helen Cho) was very kind to both of them. The russian agent (her name was Natasha Romanoff, they learned; and she cursed Howard in russian when he started demanding to know what was going on) was what unsettled Howard.

"I'll calm down when I have a room with a window." He took a deep breath and walked to his wife. "I promised you everything will be fine and I mean it." With a gentile touch, Howard pulled Maria closer to him as he sat down on the bed next to her, hugging her from the side. "I just want us out of here and back home."

Maria rested her head on his shoulder and looked up at Howard. "I'm scared of what they could do to Anthony. What if Hydra did something to him while we were God knows where."

"The boy is smart. He'll be alright." Howard stood up and walked towards the door, leaning over and pressing his ear on it ( _'Steps'_ ). He backed away a little. "Someone is coming."

And, in that moment, the door opened. The agent from earlier stepped inside, followed by a man in a black suit. Maria looked at the newcomer carefully. The man's suit was expensive, but not flashy, his hair was brown, with a few white strands and he had a well kept beard. In shorter terms, he looked like a businessman. What caught her eyes was the fact that he was wearing sunglasses ( _'He's hiding behind a mask'_ ). In her life, Maria Stark learned to read people and she knew that the best way to know a person was looking into their eyes. She knew that, if someone was using sunglasses, that person was hiding their personality and feelings ( _'Who is this man?'_ ).

"Welcome back to the Land of Living. Hope you had a good nap." Maria was stuck with a wave of realization: she knew that voice. It was an all to familiar voice, one that just couldn't be matched with any other.

"Who the hell are you?" Howard looked at the man in front of him. He looked aroun 50 years old and was dressed too nice to be an agent ( _'Maybe the one in charge here'_ ).

"Oh, _God_!" Maria whispered, glad that she was sitting down. It could be who she thought it was. It was impossible, unreal even.

Howard looked at his wife, puzzled by her reaction to the man. The man took the opportunity to turn to the agent and speak with her. "We're busted."

"What makes you think that?"

"I was never good at hiding anything from my mother." Now Howard was more confused than before. He looked at Maria again and then he started putting the pieces together ( _'"Mother"? That's not possible. He can't be'_ ).

"Anthony?" Maria stuttered over the one word that she had on the tip of her tongue, fixing the stranger with her gaze.

Tony took off his glasses and a hint of a smile crossed his face as he addressed his parents. "It's been awhile. I missed you too, mom."

Howard was shocked. Maybe more shocked than his wife. This was their son. This man was their Anthony. Howard Stark was a genius, so it didn't take long to understand what was going on. He and Maria had been stuck in cryostasis for years, decades even, judging by Anthony's appearance. He was an absent father, he was aware of that, but he could recognize his son's eyes anywhere. Tony inherited those doe-eyes from his father, after all.

Maria stood up and started walking towards Anthony. She knew years had passed. Her boy was now a man, but, to her, he was still her little boy, her Tony. She stood now in front of Tony and tried to contain her tears as she brought both her palms to rest on each side of his face. Tony leaned in his mother's touch and, before he had time to process everything, he was enveloped in a crushing hug.

Natasha cleared her throat. "Hate to interrupt, but you have a lot to explain to them before you start the tear-jerking family reunion."

The two broke the hug and Tony threw an exasperated look at Nat. "Way to kill the mood, Romanoff." He, then, turned back to his parents. "Let's take this somewhere else."

Tony and Natasha lead Howard and Maria to one of the common areas around the Compound. Tony started explaining to the couple how were they found and, by the time they stopped walking, Nat left their side, leaving the family alone to discuss the more private matters just between the three of them.

"So you work with SHIELD." Howard was fascinated by the fact that he was, in a way, in the future. Almost 30 years in the future. It was mind-blowing. There were so many things he wanted to know.

"Something like that. But I'm mostly retired now."

Maria sat down on the couch, avoiding to ask what did her son did for the secret organization that resulted in retirement at 50 years old. His eyes were full of different emotions and he looked tired, like he's seen more things than any other person she had ever known (including her husband).

"And what is this place? It surely looks very advanced and like nothing I've ever seen." Howard had an Idea, but he wanted to be sure.

"It's my building." ( _'His building?!'_ ) "Well...One of them, anyways. It functions as our team's primarily base."

"Impressive."

"You lowered your standards. This is nothing." Howard was impressed and proud for his son ( _'This boy truly outdid himself. He achieved more than I could ever hoped he would'_ ). But he wouldn't tell that out loud. Not yet, anyways.

" **Boss, you have a call from the Mrs.** " FRIDAY made herself heard, startling the couple.

"Redirect the call to my phone, FRI." He looked one more time at the other occupants of the room. "That's my AI, FRIDAY. I have to take this call. Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back."

Once Tony was out of sight, Howard plopped on couch. "Artificial intelligence. Incredible. And it sounded so...alive." He was overwhelmed. Tracing his fingers through his hair, Howard looked at Maria. She was silent. Too silent. "Are you okay, honey?"

"He's hiding a lot from us."

"And that's a problem...How? He always did that."

"The robot-"

"-Not a robot."

"Not my point. She said the Mrs. was calling." She threw her gaze toward the ceiling. "He's married. And he didn't mentioned."

"Big deal. It's not like he had time to mention it."

Tony came back, looking like he had lost at poker. Then he saw his mother's expression. "Am I in trouble or something?"

"You never mentioned you were married." Yup, he was in trouble. 

"You never asked." He paused, before throwing in one of his press smiles. "And you'll have the chance to meet her tonight, because, apparently, it would be rude of me not to offer my parents to stay with us."

"That would be very nice of you, dear." Maria was aware of the fact that her son wasn't totally on board with this, but she appreciated the effort and gesture all the same.

Howard was, for lack of better words, sceptical ( _'This should be fun'_ ). "Can't wait, son."

Tony regretted ever telling Pepper about all of this. He was now in a dipper hole then before ( _'This should be fun.'_ ).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was mostly from the perspective of Howard and Maria (mostly Maria). Hope you liked it.
> 
> Next time we'll have the family reunion and more of Tony, Pepper and the kids.


	4. Family reunion

**The Stark lake house; June 3rd 2020**

Tony couldn't be happier to see his home. The car ride was a mix of awkward silence and suffocating questions from both his mother and father. Maria was very curious to know more about the woman her son married, but could only found out that they had been together for 11 years and moved out of the city a couple of years ago, after living in Malibu and then New York City. Howard asked about the company at one point (Tony was starting to think he will forget about it...Yup, that didn't happened) and was met with evasive responses, Tony only mentioning that they changed the focus from weapons to clean energy, medical research and equipment and electronics (for the most part of it anyways).

Pulling the car in the driveway, Tony stopped the engine. "Here we are. Home, sweet home."

Everyone exited the car, the older couple gaping at the sight of the property. The house was beautiful, overlooking the lake. It was a two story wooden cabin and it certainly didn't give the impression that a billionaire was living in it. Howard tried to understand how had his son agreed to live in the middle of the woods after a life of luxury and how did he could leave the city to come spend the rest of his days here. Sure, the location was great, but only for a vacation, not a permanent home (in his personal opinion that is). Maria was already falling in love with this place. She always wondered how it would be to live away from the hectic life in the city. The peacefulness of the property made her realize that Anthony chose to retreat here because he was tired of the life he had before. It was another reminder that her son retired for a reason (but she didn't know what it was...yet).

"This place is beautiful, Tony." His mother, as it seemed, was determined to reconnect with him.

Tony wasn't comfortable with all of this but he couldn't help but smile at the mere thought of having his mom back. "Thanks. Built it myself." Maria returned the smile and together, she and Howard, followed Tony up the stairs of the porch and to the front door.

Tony took a deep breath and opened the door. "Honey, I'm home!"

"Very funny." Pepper came into view, amusement reading on her face.

"I really try to be. Thank you for noticing." Tony stepped away from his parents to hug his wife, kissing her lightly on the lips.

The older couple followed Tony in the house. Howard averted his eyes, not wanting to see what was an intimate moment between Anthony and his wife. Maria, on the other hand, was smiling at the sweetness of the interaction. Tony looked happy and relaxed around his wife. Speaking of the wife, Maria couldn't ignore the fact that she was a beautiful women, slim, elegant features, strawberry blonde hair down past her shoulder. The way she smiled at Tony made it clear that they were truly in love with each other.

But Howard had to ruin the moment. He cleared his throat, making the younger couple to break apart. "I think introductions are in order."

Tony mentally cursed the old man before speaking. "Mom, Howard, this is my wife, Virginia Pepper Stark. Pep, this are my parents." He lined over to whisper to Pepper. " _Never thought this would happen, huh_?"

She ignored him and stepped forward to shake their hands. "It's very nice to meet you." Pepper shook Howard's hand first, moving than to Maria. "Even though the circumstances are quite unusual."

"It's very nice to meet you too, dear." Maria dared to hug Pepper. She accepted the hug without even thinking about it. It was a sight that made Tony smile. He thought he would never witness his mother's reaction to meeting his family. It was surreal.

After the hug, Pepper invited them to the living room. "If you need anything, please let me know."

"Don't bother, dear. We're good."

While everyone else sat on the couch, Howard started to look around the room. In front of the couch was a fireplace and a coffee table. Behind he could see the stairs leading to the second floor. But his attention was caught by the few pictures on the wall and on the bookshelf. They were pictures of kids.

And, as he was about to ask Tony about it, downstairs came two boys. A blonde one (the older one), who vaguely resembled Tony when he was little (and would've been even more alike if he had the same eyes and hair), and a brunette one (with the same eyes and curls Tony had when he was a child).

The little one ran straight to Tony, yelling at the top of his lungs. "DADDY!"

Tony wasted no time. He stood up from the couch and took Peter into his arms the moment he was close enough. He threw the boy in the air before hugging him close to his chest.

"Don't be that melodramatic. He's been gone for a few hours, not weeks." Harley stopped at the bottom of the stairs, watching the new 'guests' closely.

Maria was taken aback by what happened. But, before she had the chance to say anything, Pepper spoke. "This are our boys, Harley and Peter." She told the kids about who their father will bring over after she had talked with him on the phone earlier that day. Peter didn't quite understood how were his grandparents alive, but that was expected (he was only 5 after all). Harley didn't say anything then, but, judging by his caution and lack of talking now, he was not so sure about all of this.

"You have children? You don't mention it." Howard was surprised to find out he has, not only a daughter-in-law, but also grandchildren.

"They look so much like you." Maria looked at the boys and saw so much of her little Tony in them. And, where she didn't see her son, she saw their mother. "How old are you, sweetie?" This question was addressed to Harley, who didn't move from his spot.

Harley was a smart kid. He knew Maria Stark was a good mother, because his dad mentioned her from time to time. And she seemed nice enough so far. He answered her, taking a few steps forward and pointing at himself with his thumb. "I'm 10." Then he pointed at Peter, who was now on the floor, hiding behind Tony's legs. "Pete is 5. He'll be 6 in August." Answering for his brother meant Peter will be left alone. He won't speak with the Avengers half the time so what was the point in forcing him to speak with strangers.

"We also have a little girl. Morgan. But she's sleeping now. Right, honey?" Tony realized what Harley was up to and tried to give them both a chance to escape the awkward 'family moment' while they still could.

"I just put her in bed before I started preparing dinner." Pepper watched Peter looking back and forth between Howard and Maria and stood up. "Which reminds me" She picked up Peter and circled the couch, heading for the stairs. "Food is on the table. The boys already ate and should've been in bed. Tony, can you..?"

"Yes, sure." He looked from his wife and kids to his parents. "We can eat dinner while the little troublemakers go back to bed."

Tony, Howard and Maria went in the kitchen, while Pepper, Harley and Peter went upstairs. Harley entered his bedroom, but didn't close the door until after he threw a _'Thanks for saving us, mom'_ at Pepper.

Pepper took Peter in his room and set him on the bed. "I'll be downstairs. If you can't sleep, you come to me. Okay, angel?" She tucked him in after the little boy nodded.

But Peter could shake away a question that was bothering him. "Why are they staying here?"

"I told you already. Remember?"

"But daddy looks sad. Is he going to be sad while they're here?"

Pepper kissed her son's forehead, smiling sweetly at him. "Daddy is not sad. He's just a little tired. He had a long day. But he's happy to have his mommy and daddy back. Believe me."

"Okay." Pepper stood up and walked to the door, turning off the light, leaving only the arc reactor shaped night light on. "Night night, mommy."

She smiled at her baby boy. "Goodnight, Petey." Then she walked out, leaving the door just a little bit open.

Before joining her husband and in-laws for dinner, Pepper went to check on Morgan. Even though they had a nursery for their baby girl, Morgan was still sleeping in their bedroom. Pepper also made sure that the guestroom had everything Howard and Maria needed for the night. Then she checked on Harley who, as expected, was playing on the phone instead of sleeping. When she came downstairs, she could feel Tony had already had an argument with Howard.

The rest of the evening was as uncomfortable as could have been, but Maria was a pleasure to speak with and the two men behaved while their wives bonded. Tony was still tensed, but the first meeting and dinner went well. Tomorrow was going to be a challenge for sure, but for now it was silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The night is still young. We're not done with the worst day of Tony's life yet.
> 
> Until next time.


	5. Agreements and plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Howard and Maria discuss. So are Tony and Pepper. And, behind closed doors, Harley and Peter are having a "meeting".

At around 9pm (pretty early) the four adults finished dinner and Maria insisted on helping cleaning up. Tony and Pepper tried to stop her, but it had been in vain.

"It's really not a problem, dear." Maria wanted to help her daughter-in-law (for various reasons). "It's my way of thanking you for letting us stay here."

"You don't need to thank me for anything." Pepper replied "You're my husband's parents. You're part of the family and I couldn't leave you stay at the Compound when we have enough space here."

Tony convinced his mother to come upstairs with him and Howard and he showed them the guest room. "Here is your room." Tony gestured toward the door inside the room. "You have your own bathroom and some clothes in the drawer. It should be enough until tomorrow. If you need anything else, just ask."

"Thank you, Tony." His mom had been the only one who spoke to Tony since dinner. Howard remained silent since his mini-discution before eating. "I think we'll be fine."

"Alright then. Good night."

Maria went to get ready for bed, while Howard started to rant about what his son told him earlier today. "How could he give away the company to _a woman_?!" Ah, yes. Tony was ambushed with questions about SI and was having none of that, so he simply told Howard that if he wants to know anything, he can ask Pepper, because she is the CEO. Needless to say Howard wasn't too pleased when he found out. It's the reason they didn't talk for the rest of the evening. "And one that wasn't even his wife at that time!"

"The company is Tony's. It's up to him to decide what's best."

"It wouldn't surprise me if that's why they got married in the first place."

"Now isn't the time to speak like this." Maria liked Pepper and she could see that the love between the two of them was real. And if a woman leading a corporation doesn't mean she didn't work hard to earn it. "Virginia was very polite and kind to us. And if she runs Stark Industries it means she is a very capable, intelligent and independent woman."

"How would _you_ know _that_?"

"Because I can see it." Maria had enough with her husband's nonsense. "Now, don't be a misogynist."

If there was one person who could speak like this with him and not get yelled at, it was Maria Stark. But that doesn't mean Howard was done. "Leaving the company aside, I still don't know what to think about her or her children."

He hit a nerve there and he realized too late. Maria turned to Howard almost as soon as the words left his mouth. " _Her_ children? I'm sure you forget that those are Anthony's children as well. _Our_ grandchildren."

"We know next to nothing about them."

"And that's why I'm asking you to behave and try to see how much Tony changed. And try to get to know his family."

"The blond one looked at me like I was a stranger."

"Because we are strangers to them, Howard." She watched her husband going into the bathroom and decided that she had enough for today. With Howard stubbornness you need to deal slowly, or else it's in vain. "We'll talk tomorrow."

"Mhm."

"And I expect you to try to be nice."

"Whatever you say, honey!" He yelled from the bathroom. But words could differ so much from the actual actions.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tony and Pepper were discussing over the same conversation from before dinner. Pepper was sitting in bed, reading a book and half-listening to what Tony was rambling.

" _I can't believe him! He hasn't changed a bit! It's still the same old bastard that takes every chance he has to criticize my decisions! Unbelievable!_ " Tony yelled or, at least, tried to (it's hard keeping quiet while a baby sleeps in the same room you are in).

"Can you try to get along with Howard for the sake of your mother?" Pepper learned over the years that Tony loved and respected his mother very much. He could tolerate his father as long as his mother was there, she saw that, and could make an effort. Be the better man and all.

"Hmmm...I guess I _could_." Tony could try, yes, but it really depends on how much he can take from Howard. He needed to change the subject a little. "Are the boys asleep?"

"I hope they are. I had to take away Harley's phone. And Peter asked me why are Howard and Maria staying here."

"Why would he ask that?" Tony sat down on the bed, getting under the covers, next to his wife. He could think of any reason why Peter would ask something like that. He is shy, yes, but he doesn't have a problem with guests, per say.

"He saw how uncomfortable you were around them."

"The kid is observant, you have to give it to him."

"Try not to influence the boys' opinion on your parents, please." Pepper put the book on the nightstand and switch off the lamp that was the only source of light left on in the room.

"Yes, honey."

"Good night, Tony."

Tony kissed Pepper lightly on the lips before laying down. "G'night, Pep." The next day would be eventful, that's all he can think about. There's no way he has a chance to ditch Howard and his annoying remarks. For now.

* * *

Unknown to the adults in the house, Peter snuck in Harley's bedroom as soon as the coast was clear. Harley called for an "emergency meeting" and the call had to be answered. "Harls, are you asleep?" Peter closed the door, carefully, making sure no noise could be heard.

"Up here, pipsqueek." Harley asked for bunk beds when they moved into this house. He usually used the top bed just for "storage" (meaning hiding toys and games there), but the top bed served as his and Peter's hiding place.

Peter climbed the ladder and sat next to Harley once he was on the mattress. "What are we doing here?"

"We have intruders in our home. This is unacceptable."

"Aren't they nana and grandpa Howard?" Peter knew they were supposed to be dead. That was weird, but Bucky and Steve came back to life too, so it wasn't that bad, he thought.

"They are."

"So?"

Harley grinned. "We need to see if they're trustworthy." Harley can't let dead people in the house just like that. This night his plan would unfold and Peter would be his spy. He's already on Howard's watch, Peter wasn't. And Morgan is of no use for now. "Here's what we're gonna do."


	6. The morning is always calmer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a cute family breakfast with a little bit of grandfather-grandson moment.

**The Stark lake house; June 4th 2020**

Howard woke up and, for a second, he couldn't remember where he was. Then the events of the past day came back to him. Looking at the nightstand, Howard realized that it was barely 6 in the morning. Maria was soundly asleep beside him and Howard stood up carefully as to not wake her up. He won't get any more sleep anyways, he might as well go make himself a coffee.

Creeping out of the bedroom, he went towards the stairs, throwing a look at the door at the end of the hall ( _"That's Anthony's room."_ )

Downstairs, Howard could hear the TV. He reached the bottom of the stairs and saw who was in the living room. It was the blonde boy.

"Why are you up at this hour, boy?" Howard wasn't necessarily interested in the boy's reason to be awake, but he just wouldn't believe that kids would wake up voluntarily at 6am.

"I woke up before my alarm." Still not enough, but at least this one wasn't mute. Unlike the other one, who didn't even looked Howard in the eyes last night. "Plus, today is the last day I'm forced to go to school before summer break."

"Good for you. You're a morning person. You have any idea where's the coffee?" Howard headed toward the kitchen, leaving the kid in the living room.

Harley was up for many reasons. He usually didn't sleep much (like his father), TV before school can't happen if his parents are awake and, maybe, he hoped to catch his grandparents alone. Mission accomplished. "The coffee is in the cupboards above the microwave." He was asked a question. He had to answer. "If you need help with the coffee machine, FRIDAY can help."

Howard looked at Harley, surprised that the boy answered his question. "Thank you."

By the time Howard's coffee was done, Harley moved from the couch to get a snack from the fridge. Howard watched closely as the boy opened the fridge and took a milk carton, before moving to get a cereal box from one of the counters (Harley didn't asked for help to reach up, he preferred to use a chair). "Are you going to eat anything or you're like dad and can survive with coffee and air alone?"

Howard looked at the boy again. He didn't expected to be compared with Tony. But he answered nonetheless. "I don't eat breakfast. I'm used skipping it."

"Okay." Harley sat at the table and poured milk on his cereals.

"When do your parents usually wake up?" Howard wanted to know how much time he had before his peace would be destroyed.

"Around 7, but most likely they're already up. They have to wake Peter and Morgan up and get them ready for the day." What kind of child was this? From watching cartoons in the livingroom to answering questions like he was an adult. Howard couldn't read him at all. Then Harley decided to play a little game of interrogation with the old man. "Why are you here? Hiding from grandma?"

"Watch it, boy!" He clearly didn't like Howard and the older Stark saw that.

"I just asked." Harley raised his hands in a mockery of surrender. "Don't need to be so sour, old man."

"I don't like you."

"Fair enough." Harley went back to eating and Howard just started. This boy had no respect for him and didn't care if Howard liked him or not ( _"He behaves just like Anthony. Unbelievable."_ ).

Meanwhile, upstairs, Maria woke up and got dressed for the day with the clothes Tony left for them both in the guest room, Howard's clothes already gone ( _"He must be downstairs."_ ). When she opened the door she saw that one of the other doors was wade open. She got close to the room and saw that it was a child's bedroom. Peter's bedroom. Tony was in there, helping Peter choose a t-shirt. Peter was facing the door, so when he saw Maria Stark he froze.

Tony panicked a little. "What is it, buddy?" Peter pointed out and Tony turned to face the newcomer. " _Oh._ Good morning, mom."

Hearing her son calling her " _mom_ " made the last day's event settle in, feel more real for her. She smiled at Tony, her eyes staying, however, on Peter. "Good morning, Anthony. And Peter, right?" The little boy nodded slightly. "Has everyone woke up?"

Tony thought for a second, then answered. "I think so. Yes. I haven't seen Howard and Harley is not in his room, so they're probably in the kitchen."

"And Virginia?" Maria hopped to have more time to chat with her daughter-in-law today.

"Getting Morgan ready." At that moment Pepper came in the room with baby Morgan on her hip. "Speaking of the devil."

"Good morning, Maria." Pepper elected to ignore her husband's little comment, not knowing what they discussed anyways. "And I see that Peter is still in his pajamas. You have anything to say for yourself, Mr. Stark?"

"I was interrupted." Said Tony as he picked up Peter and the clothes he was supposed to be dressed in and left for the bathroom, leaving " _the ladies_ " alone.

Maria looked at Morgan and her heart melted. "She's so sweet." It was the first time she saw her granddaughter and little Morgan was the most beautiful baby Maria had ever seen. A spitting image of Tony when he was a baby. "May I hold her?"

"Of course." Pepper passed Morgan to Maria and watched her mother-in-law interacting with her daughter. Morgan loves to meet new people, so she was happy to be in Maria's arms.

Howard finished his coffee just in time for the rest of the family to come in the kitchen. Maria had a baby in her arms ( _"This must be Anthony's daughter."_ ) and Tony was talking with his wife. The little boy ( _"This is Peter, I think. I have to start remembering their names."_ ) was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a red t-shirt with some kind of armored superhero, if Howard was to guess. Peter was wearing a pair of blue glasses, unlike last night, when he didn't have any.

They had a nice breakfast together, Maria insisting on helping Pepper around the kitchen. Tony maintained a civilized conversation with his father, while feeding Morgan. Peter staid quiet and Harley disappeared for a few minutes, coming back dressed for school.

After breakfast, Pepper stood up from her place at the table. "Tony, I'll take the boys to school."

"I could do that, you know." Tony wanted to get away from his newly resurrected parents, even if it was just for a few minutes.

But Pepper caught on what he was trying to do. "I have to go resolve something after, anyways. And you have work to do here."

Well, there goes his escape plan. It was worth trying. Tony turned to his mother (who was playing with Morgan) and father (who was quietly observing). "I think you two are stuck with me and Little Miss for a couple of hours."

Now in the livingroom, Pepper said her good byes to the elderly couple, kissed Tony and Morgan and took the car keys. Harley threw his backpack on his shoulder and was waiting by the front door for his mother and brother. Pepper crouched down to address Peter. "You have everything, sweetie?"

"Yup!" Said Peter with a big smile on his face.

"Alright, then. Let's go."

Once Pepper and the boys were gone, Tony passed Morgan back to his mother and clapped his hands. "Alright, fellas, let's trash this place down. Howard, come with me to the workshop. Mom, think you can handle Morgan for a few minutes?" Maria nodded and Howard followed Tony to the workshop. It was time to look at what the Wakandan scientists and Helen found in those samples.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m asking now and I don't even expect you to answer, but...What do you think Pepper is doing in the city? Because I don't know. It could be nothing, or it could be something huge. YOU CHOOSE. (Sounds like an advertisement)
> 
> Also, next up, we have father-son bonding time.
> 
> And a little self promoting...I once asked you to choose between two stories. This one and one with Tony and Pepper getting married in Vegas before Afghanistan. I wrote the second one too. So if you want, you can take a look.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/28636134/chapters/70192050


	7. Garage and office

**The Stark lake house; June 4th 2020**

Tony's lab can only be described as an " _organized chaos_ ". Half is the usual garage and half is filled to the prip with scraps of metal and suit parts (among other things). Howard was taken aback by the technology that was filling the lab. The holographic monitors were on and the specs for an engine was shown on them. But what caught his attention were the armors exposed in the back.

Howard had never seen something that could even begin to compare with those suits. He was back for only a day (give or take a couple of hours) and he already realized that Tony didn't tell him shit about how he got involved with SHIELD in the first place.

"What is with those suits of armor? I've never seen anything like this before." One way or another, Howard will get his answers. Starting with the high tech armors.

Tony suspected Howard's intentions to get the whole story about his " _working days_ " and decided that it would be worthless to try and hide it. He plopped into his desk chair and brought up the files he received that morning.

Motioning to Howard to sit by his side, Tony said "Once we're done looking into your blood work I'll tell you. So, unless you'd reder wait another day or more, I suggest you get your old butt here and stop asking questions."

"You have no respect for your father, have you?"

"Nothing new for you, right? Just like the old days." The bickering between the two men was a good sign. At least they weren't fighting.

**Stark Industries HQ; Stark Tower**

Pepper Stark is probably the most efficient one out of the whole family. In the last four hours, not only did she got to wrap up the last details of the Expo, but she had time to make some online shopping for their guests.

And, because it's a short day, Pepper asked Happy to get the boys from school and bring them to the Tower. She was supposed to go get them, but her last meeting got prolonged.

Let's just say that Happy Hogan hates to babysit. From the moment Harley was born, Happy sworn he would never babysit the demon spawns of Tony Stark. And he wanted to be dead serious. But life just throws them back at him. And the head of security will never admit, but he was glad to dump the two monsters into Bambi's side office, where she could watch them until Pepper was out of her meeting.

"You are supposed to stay with us, Hap." Harley was playing on his phone, not even looking at Happy. But he still wanted to point that out.

"I'm working. And you're good here." And he left.

Peter was clutching to his backpack with both hands and smiled at Bambi. "Wanna see what I found at school today, Bambi?"

Harley knew what his brother was hiding in his bag, so he was just curious what their parents will say about it.

Bambi liked to stay with the Stark kids. It reminded her of the days she spent with her grandchildren, who were not that little now and were miles away from her. "Sure, Peter. What do you have there?"

She shouldn't have asked, as Peter was expected to have found anything. That kid was known for collecting _bugs_ from around the schoolyard. And she got the scare of her life when a little mutt full of mud and (probably) fleas jumped out of the red backpack and started jumping up and down by her feet.

Harley was laughing louder than Peter, knowing full well that he wasn't in trouble this time. He had an alibi. Peter was in the car with the dog tucked into the bag before Harley got in. He only got a glimpse of the fur that was sticking out of the backpack and said nothing. He was here just for the show. How was Peter able to hide a whole dog from Happy was beyond him.

**Unknown location**

Flickering lights were illuminating a black briefcase while a gloved hand was trassing the initials on the side of the case with its fingers. The letters read ' _H.A.W.S._ '. The hand took the briefcase and left, the lights turning off a moment later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!
> 
> I know it's short but at least we're moving forward with the storyline.
> 
> Not sure when I'll update next but I can guarantee you that Howard will find out about Iron Man in the next chapter.
> 
> Maria and Morgan will appear next time too.
> 
> Peter found a puppy and his birthday is approaching, so you bet he's going to use it as a reason to keep the ball of fur.
> 
> If you want to ask me about the updates you can found me on tumblr.
> 
> https://raccooncati.tumblr.com/
> 
> Until next time.


	8. A superhero and a new puppy

**Stark Industries HQ; Stark Tower; June 4th 2020**

Pepper's last meeting just ended when there was a knock on the door. Harley opened the door slowly and looked past the people present in that conference room. He locked eyes with his mother. "I'm sorry to intrude. Mom, could you come here for a minute? It's important."

Even if the meeting was still going Pepper would've abandoned it. She was a mother and her children came before work. If Harley says it's important, then it is. Since he was 2 years old Pepper taught Harley that he can't just come looking for her unless he really needs her. She told Peter the same thing. So, to summarize, if her children are in a conference room, Pepper will drop everything for them, because something must be broken or on fire (that's just how it always was).

But when she was met with a scrawny, super dirty (and super adorable, but she won't admit it) puppy in her office, Pepper was not happy. This was another level of " _important_ ". "How did this dog got here?"

Bambi explained to her that Peter had the puppy in his backpack. And Peter... Well Peter wasn't about to let his new fluffy friend go. He already had a plan in his head for this exact situation. And the plan included guilt-tripping.

"Mommy, he was all alone around the schoolyard. And he was crying. And he was hungry. I wanted to help him." He put all the effort into looking like he was on the verge of crying. And Harley knew that. He was the one who told Peter that, if he wanted their mom to agree to keep the dog, he needed to look like a victim. He needed to make her feel like the villain in these scenario.

And it looked like it was working. Pepper crouched in front of Peter and put a hand on his upper arm. "Sweetie, the dog can't be in here."

"But we can't just throw him out in the streets. Can we keep him? I promise to wash him and take care of him." (" _And I want a dog for my birthday."_ )

"We can't keep him, honey. You know that."

"B-but..." Now Peter was about to cry for real. And Pepper felt miserable.

She could say " _yes_ " without a problem, it's not like they can't afford having a pet. And the boys are responsible enough to have a pet. But Tony hates dogs with a passion. Every time Peter asked for a dog the answer has always been " _no_ ". Always.

But times are changed now. Harley picked up the puppy, ignoring the dirt and possible parasites. He also wanted a pet. His dad had his defrosted parents to worry about.

Pepper looked at her kids and sighed. She convinced Tony to attend board meetings and be on time, she could convince him to tolerate a dog. She brushed away the few tears that escaped Peter's eyes and tried to soothe him. "I'll talk with your dad. You can keep the puppy."

Peter's face lit up and he hugged his mother, thanking her between kisses on the cheek. Pepper will forever cherish every kiss she got from her little boy. They always made her day better. Even Harley abandoned the new member of the Stark family to hug Pepper.

Her work day was over, so Pepper asked Bambi to make sure she didn't have anything else to sign before taking the boys and the dog and leaving. The penthouse was closer then the lake house and the kids needed a change of clothes. And the dog needed a bath. Happy was asked to buy a shampoo for the dog and Pepper called a friend that was a veterinarian to ask what else was absolutely necessary to buy. Besides food. The dog earned himself a new family and a trip to the vet. And Tony was informed that Pepper and the kids will come home later than he was expecting. Any other details was left aside. For now.

* * *

**The Stark lake house**

So, what did the Wakandan geneticists found out about the serum used on Maria and Howard? Nothing. Zero. Nada. And it frustrated Tony more then the fact that he was stuck alone with his parents for more than he expected.

He read the charts and the digital folder he received several times before giving up altogether. "I don't understand. It doesn't make any sense. It's like they mixed together whatever they had on hand and shoved it into your bloodstream. And it somehow worked."

Howard had the chance to analyze the serum while in captivity. But he had no idea what the substance was. Not even then. And definitely not now. "I worked on cracking its code and failed. If modern technology can't give us a clue, it will be a great challenge for even the best scientist to find out how to recreate this serum. And maybe it's better this way."

Tony closed all the tabs he had on the screens and directed his attention to the suits. "Your bloodwork looked good, at least. It means you'll be fine." He was about to regret his next question ( _"But I promised, and I have to keep my word."_ ). "Are you still curious about the suits, old man?"

Howard wanted to know everything about that armor. He thought Tony would ditch his earlier questions, but no. His son was a man of his word. "What is its purpose?"

"Already asking questions? Not surprising." Tony cleared his throat and stood up for his comfy chair. "This is the Iron Man armor. It's a highly advanced prosthesis used in Avengers level missions."

(" _Alright, that didn't answer my question at all"_ ) Howard raised an eyebrow at Tony and pushed further for an actual answer that wouldn't leave him with more questions than before. "And what are _the Avengers_?"

"SHIELD's superhero team."

Tony sounded too serious, so Howard had to accept that this wasn't a joke. He saw what science could do to a human and him being alive and in this house was enough of a proof that superheroes are nothing more than the norm of this time. Or so he deduced.

But why would Tony have the equipment of a superhero in his garage? "So you create tech for the Avengers? That's the deal you have with SHIELD?"

"For now, yes." Tony bit the bullet and give Howard the whole truth ( _"Better now than never."_ ). "But I am Iron Man. I retired a couple of years ago from missions."

"You are Iron Man!?" Howard was... well, not shocked, but surprised. His son built himself a suit of armor and decided to become a superhero ( _"There is definitely a whole story behind it. He won't tell me the story now, I'm sure."_ ). But, looking back at how the Compound looked and what technology surrounds them here, the older man knew that Iron Man had to be the kick that started all of this. "This sounds interesting. How does it work?"

Tony will forever be glad that his father refrained from asking about an origin story. He couldn't bring himself to tell it at the moment. It was better to keep it for another day.

By the time the two Stark men returned in the living room Maria made herself at home in the kitchen. Morgan was fast asleep in her grandmother's arms, while Maria was juggling babysitting and cooking. It smelled delicious and it was so surreal for Tony to see his mother making pasta for them. It was like he was a child all over again.

And the car showing up outside meant that Pepper and the boys were home too. It was too good to be true. And that's when Tony saw the puppy running beside Peter. He never liked dogs. Dogs are messy and require a lot of training and attention. And they are loud, annoying creatures. Or, at least, that's his opinion on them. But Tony knows that he won't be able to say " _no_ " if the boys will ask him to keep the puppy. And, if Pepper said that they could keep it, he already lost the argument.

"Daddy, daddy, I found a puppy and mommy said we can keep him!" was the first thing Peter said when he entered the house.

" _Really_?" Pepper shook her head in a way that signaled him that it was already too late to back away from her promise. "That's great, bud!" ( _"Just my luck."_ ) "But let's not bring the puppy inside right now. Okay?"

"But why? We took Chewy to the vet and we give him a bath. He's clean." Harley picked up the puppy and Tony looked at him very carefully. The fact that the dog already has a name is the last of his concerns.

That dog couldn't possibly be more than 6 weeks and his furr wasn't long and was mostly black, save for the belly and the paws, which were white. But the puppy was big ( _"I swear to God, if this thing grows the size of a cow, I'm going to give him to Barton to use him as a tractor on the farm land."_ ).

"He cries if his alone." Peter pouted until Tony let them bring the dog inside.

Howard ignored this interaction altogether. It wasn't his territory. Maria finished setting up the table and passed Morgan to Tony before greeting everyone. "How was your day?"

"Boring. Until now." Harley answered his grandmother's question without missing a bit. Then he looked at his father. "You know what, dad? The vet said that Chewy is a Great Dane and Saint Bernard mix. So he's going to be _huge_."

"Great." ( _"Legolas, I got you a cow."_ ).

Apart from the fact that they got a dog now, Tony's day was actually good. And they had a nice lunch together before FRIDAY alerted Tony that he had a call from Captain Rogers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Is it really been a month?
> 
> I had no idea how to write this chapter until now and I didn't have the time to update lately. But I'm back.
> 
> Chewy the dog. I had to. Peter needs and deserves a puppy. And Harley is just there to help his brother and inconvenience the others.
> 
> Howard didn't get the whole Iron Man origin story because I plan on him to find out from other sources. And Maria will find out soon enough.
> 
> Steve is calling. I wonder what he wants?
> 
> I'm not sure when I'll update next, but I'll start making one-shots for this series (I made it a series.). So, if you're interested, keep an eye on "At the lake house" series.
> 
> I think that's all. Write comments, 'cause I'd love to see what you think, and I'll see you in the next chapter.
> 
> Until next time.


End file.
